


Thick As Thieves

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Thieves, Angst, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-10-15 23:15:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10559344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: Bucky and Steve are partners in crime. But when a big, high risk job is coming up, Bucky suggests they become "partners" in another way as well. But with Steve's feelings for Bucky changing, how will they cope?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alby_mangroves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alby_mangroves/gifts).



> Once again inspired by the CapRBB chat, and more specifically Alby who loves fake!married fics. This is for you, Alby!! <3

“We should get married!”

Steve rolls over under the blankets, blearily facing the doorway where Bucky is standing, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. 

“Bucky, what the hell time is it?” he mutters, exhausted. 

“I don't know, like, seven a.m.? I've been up for over an hour and seriously, Steve, this is genius!”

“Seven a.m.? Buck, it's Saturday and if I could move out of this bed I’d kill you. Why would I want to marry you?”

“No, okay, listen.” Bucky sits next to Steve on his bed and pulls the blankets down just enough that the sunlight streams through the window straight into his eyes. Steve scowls. Bucky ignores him. “Okay, so basically, you know how we’re doing that job in about six weeks? You know, the big, high risk, probably-going-to-get-caught-and-thrown-in-jail-for-job?”

“I vaguely remember,” Steve replies crossly. It's all they've talked about for days, what the fuck is Bucky on?

“So we should get married! That way if we get caught they can't force us to testify against each other!” Bucky is almost vibrating at this point, and clearly thinks this is one of his better ideas, but it's too early in the morning for Steve to really take it all in. 

“Bucky, okay, look. Can we talk about this later? I need at least another two hours of sleep and three cups of coffee before I'm even approaching awake enough to take this in.”

Bucky looks disappointed. “Okay, I guess.”

“Go back to bed and make a plan. I know how much you love making plans.”

“Okay!” Bucky brightens immediately and goes, presumably, back to his room, and Steve pulls the covers back up over his head. Bucky's a great roommate usually but he certainly had his moments. 

***

Bucky and Steve had met in college, thrown into the same dorm room by the gods of fate or whatever in their first year. They bonded almost immediately; especially when Steve offered to set up Bucky's computer for him. Bucky, Steve was to learn pretty quickly, was hopeless with technology. Steve, on the other hand, understood it so well that he didn't tell most people just how well--they tended to look at him like he was a freak. He could hack his way into pretty much any system, rewire alarms; hell, his early science experiments were all electronic devices of his own creation. 

Bucky, however, was not without his own talents, as Steve discovered when they were drunk and locked out of their dorm room. Bucky just shrugged, borrowed a couple of hair clips from a passing coed, and easily picked the lock. And that's when Steve found out that Bucky could pick pretty much any lock on the planet, including the ones that were supposed to be un-pickable. 

It was really only a matter of time before they drank too much tequila and began what was to turn into a life of crime. They were bored, poor college students. Really, the whole thing was inevitable. 

So yeah, they stole stuff and sold it on the black market. Never from private individuals, only ever from museums, corporations, whatever. If it wasn't privately owned it was fair game. 

When they'd left college--Steve with a degree in graphic design, Bucky with a degree in business studies to please his ma--it seemed logical that they get an apartment together so they could continue their side business. 

They got day jobs, and were outwardly and by day completely respectable individuals. 

By night, of course, it was a different story. But Steve and Bucky kept their secrets well, and no one ever found out. Not even Bucky's parents, who adored Steve and practically adopted him when they found out that his parents were dead and he was putting himself through college. 

***

Steve wakes again to the smell of frying bacon. He checks the time--nine thirty, far more reasonable--and follows his nose through to the kitchen where Bucky is standing at the stove wearing his pink “Kiss the cook!” apron Steve had bought him for a joke a few years previous. 

“You made breakfast?” Steve says incredulously as Bucky dishes up scrambled eggs, bacon, hot buttered toast, and coffee. 

“Yeah… sorry about waking you up this morning,” Bucky replies sheepishly, loading up his own plate and sitting opposite Steve. 

“Forgiven,” Steve says around a forkful of egg. God, this is exactly what he needed. He takes a sip of coffee and feels the caffeine zing through his veins. “So tell me about this idea of yours?”

“Eat first, then we talk,” Bucky tells him, so Steve does. When their plates are clear and their coffee cups refilled, Bucky leads Steve through to the living room and they sit together on the sofa. 

“So. Married?” Steve asks. 

“It's the perfect contingency plan! If we get caught, we have immunity from testifying against each other, which means we’re much safer.”

“What will we tell your parents? And how do we swing getting married before the job? It's only six weeks away.”

“I've thought about this!” Bucky tucks his long hair behind his ears. “So we tell my parents we've been dating for a couple of months because we couldn't deny any more how attracted we are to each other--” 

Steve snorts and Bucky glares at him. 

“--and they'll believe it, because you _know_ my mom has been rooting for us to get together pretty much since we met, and then… we take a holiday in Vegas and get married there on the spur of the moment!” Bucky finishes triumphantly. 

Steve's impressed. It's actually not a bad plan. 

“Okay,” he says slowly. “That sounds… acceptable.”

“You mean you'll do it?”

“I guess. I mean, it makes sense.”

Bucky looks overjoyed. “I thought I was going to have to convince you! Steve Rogers, you are just full of surprises.”

“Yeah, well, when we’re married you'd better cook me breakfast every morning, wife,” Steve teases. 

Bucky shoves his shoulder, leading to an all out tickle fight. Steve ends up with his face pressed into the sofa, Bucky's knee in his back, and grins. Pretending to be married to his best friend? Piece of cake. 

***

Bucky tells his parents he and Steve are dating that evening, and Steve can hear Bucky's ma’s squeals of excitement from across the room. 

“Yes I _am_ taking care of him, ma,” Bucky says wearily into the phone. “I even cooked him breakfast this morning. Oh come on, ma, he's a grown up, he can… Yeah, yeah, I know. I guess we took so long ‘cause we were such good friends and neither of us wanted to ruin it… Of course I'm in this for the long term, do you think I'd have risked it for anything less? Yeah, we’re gonna go on holiday to Vegas together, just the two of us. Look, ma, I gotta go… No, I'll speak to you later. All right. Love you, ma. Bye.”

He ends the call and shakes his head at Steve. “I swear my ma likes you better than she likes me,” he says with a laugh, and Steve smirks. 

“That's because I'm awesome.”

“Yeah, yeah, so you say. So when are we going to go to Vegas?”

Steve shrugs. “How long d’you want to go for?”

“A long weekend? Thursday to Sunday?” Bucky says thoughtfully. “Of course we’ll have to share a room. It'll look weird if we don't.”

“As long as you keep to your side of the bed and don't hog all the blankets we'll be fine,” Steve replies dryly. “I'll talk to my boss on Monday about when I can take time off and we'll coordinate from there.”

***

They manage to get a weekend off together three weeks after and they book their flights and hotel room that night. Steve gets butterflies every time he thinks about sharing a bed with his best friend, but puts it down to nerves and tells himself he's being ridiculous. 

The three weeks fly by, between work, planning their fake marriage and planning their next big job, and before Steve knows it they're on the plane to Vegas. Bucky, who it has been scientifically proven can sleep anywhere at any time, starts snoring almost as soon as they've taken off, stopping only when Steve pokes him so his head lolls to the side. Steve spends the flight staring out the window at the clouds and occasional glimpses of the earth below. 

By the time they've got their luggage and traveled to the hotel it's time for dinner, and they order room service. Steve ignores Bucky's quips about a “private candlelit dinner for two” as a guy wheels in the trolley with their food. 

“So when are we going to do the thing?” Steve asks after the guy has gone and they're sitting down to eat. 

“What thing?”

“The getting married thing.”

“Oh!” Bucky laughs. “Tomorrow night? Then we can have one night’s honeymoon.” He grins. “I hope you're planning on putting out.”

Steve kicks him under the table. “Jerk. Hey, you think we'll get an upgrade on the plane home if we tell them we’re newlyweds?”

“Worth a shot,” Bucky agrees. “So I figure we spend the entire day getting tanked and playing on the slot machines, and then if we ‘accidentally’ stumble into a wedding chapel, well, that's just a happy accident, right?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Steve replies. “I especially like the part where we’re drunk.”

Bucky clinks his beer bottle to Steve's. “To getting married while we're too drunk to remember.”

“Amen.”

After dinner they go down to the casino for a few hours, and although Steve has some beginners luck with roulette he's soon losing and instead just people watches for a while. 

When they finally go back up to the room, Steve pauses just inside the door. 

“Uh. Which side of the bed do you want?” he asks hesitantly. 

“I don't really care,” Bucky replies with a yawn. “You wanna use the bathroom first?”

Steve is in the middle of brushing his teeth when it hits him--he's going to be sharing a bed with his best friend. He's going to be _getting married_ to his best friend. The butterflies start up again and Steve swallows hard. It's fine. It'll all be fine. 

He goes back through to the room, and Bucky passes him on the way with a small smile, wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. Steve's seen him in similar more times than he can count, but it still affects him in a way he's not really ready to examine. He strips down to his own t-shirt and underwear and climbs into the bed, waiting anxiously for Bucky. 

Bucky comes out the bathroom a few minutes later, getting into bed and turning onto his right side to smile at Steve. 

“Goodnight, Steve.”

“Goodnight, Buck,” Steve responds, before switching off the light. There's a good amount of space between them, but Steve feels like he's aware of every small movement, and it's a while before he manages to fall asleep. 

***

The next morning when Steve wakes up, Bucky is already in the bathroom. When he comes out he’s already dressed, hair shower-wet, and he smiles tightly at Steve. 

Steve is too tired to try and figure out what's wrong with Bucky, so he just nods and grabs his clothes before heading into the bathroom for his own shower. As the water hits him, he wakes up enough to realize that of course Bucky was feeling awkward--they've never shared a bed before. Steve is still feeling pretty awkward about it himself. 

They spend all day in the casino, before heading out to find a wedding chapel. Steve, now drunk and five hundred dollars richer than he'd been that morning, and Bucky, also drunk but two hundred poorer, stumble into one of the less ostentatious wedding chapels that catches their eye. 

“I wanna marry this guy,” Bucky proclaims loudly to the patient looking woman at the desk. “He is… my very best friend. And I can't imagine my life without him. I love you, Steve.”

“I love you too, Buck.”

“Our packages start from three hundred dollars, including rings and your marriage license,” the woman tells them, and Steve fumbles with his wallet before forking the cash over. “Can I take your names?”

“I'm Steven Grant Rogers, and this is Bucky… wait. _James_ Buchanan Barnes,” Steve slurs. 

The woman types their names into her computer. “And do you have your passports with you?”

Steve hands them over, grinning at Bucky. They're actually going to do this. 

The woman behind the desk sorts out their paperwork while they wait, giggling drunkenly together about how awesome they are, and finally she leads them through to a room where a few people are waiting. She introduces them as the celebrant and the witnesses, and Steve tries to look serious as he shakes hands with everyone. 

The ceremony is short, and before Steve knows it he's slipping Bucky's ring onto his finger. Looking at it gives him those butterflies again, just as the celebrant smiles at them and says, “I now pronounce you married! You may now kiss each other.”

Steve had forgotten about that part, but before he can panic Bucky pulls him into a kiss and Steve forgets everything, including his own name. Bucky's lips are soft against his, and Steve loses himself in it. He hadn't imagined what it would be like to kiss his best friend, but now he is, he never wants to stop. 

But Bucky pulls back, smiling wide, and Steve has to steady himself before thanking the celebrant and witnesses. They sign their names and get a copy of their marriage certificate, then head back to their hotel room, only kicking off their shoes before they fall together onto the bed and into a deep slumber. 

***

Steve awakens the next morning to a thumping that he realizes is coming from _inside_ his skull. His head is also on something harder than a pillow, and when he opens his eyes his vision is blurry. 

He blinks a few times to clear it, as a groan sounds from right above his head. 

It suddenly occurs to Steve that his pillow is actually Bucky's chest, and he quickly moves, instantly regretting it when the thumping in his head gets more insistent. 

“What's your hurry?” Bucky asks hoarsely, but when Steve looks up he's grinning. “You looked like you were comfortable there.”

The night before comes flooding back to him, their kiss replaying in his mind in full HD, and his eyes widen. 

“Shit, Buck. We’re married!”

“Well, yeah,” Bucky says, giving him a strange look. “That was the plan. You're not having second thoughts, are you?”

“No, of course not,” Steve replies quickly, but he can't deny that the thought of being married to his best friend, who he's apparently developed feelings for without realizing, is pretty murky territory. 

“Good,” Bucky says, his tone relieved. “This really was a great plan, if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah,” Steve agrees with a smile that feels pasted on. Yeah. Great. 

***

When they get back to New York, Bucky immediately calls his ma to tell her the news. Bucky decides to put her on speakerphone so he doesn't have to suffer alone, and the shriek she lets out is so loud that Bucky is obviously glad he's not holding the phone to his ear. 

“You boys! Oh we have to have a party, I can't believe you got married without me there, but we'll have a real get together! James Buchanan Barnes I'll have words with you the next time I see you, but I'm so happy for you both! Is Steve there? Can I talk to him?”

“Sure, ma,” Bucky says, rolling his eyes, and passes the phone to Steve. 

“Hey, Mrs B.”

“Steve! Oh, sweetheart, you're officially part of the family now and I'm so happy. It's about time you boys were settling down and I couldn't be happier you chose each other. Of course, you've been going this way since you first met, in my opinion, you've always been so close. When are you free to have a party to celebrate?”

“Uh, not sure, Mrs B, but we’ll arrange something.”

“Oh, honey, enough with this ‘Mrs B’ nonsense. You call me ‘ma’ now you're married to my boy.”

Steve smiles. “Okay, but it'll take some getting used to, so don't be mad if I forget.”

“As if I'd be mad at you, Steve! Oh, you boys will be the death of me if you give me any more surprises. Pass me back to Bucky, will you?”

“Sure thing. Speak to you later!”

Steve passes the phone back and makes his escape through to his bedroom, laying down on his bed with a sigh. This might be the worst idea he's ever had, but he's in it now, and he doesn't see a way to back out that doesn't involve telling Bucky exactly why. But he can't do that. Bucky clearly doesn't feel the same about him, so there's no point in telling him when he's just going to get rejected. There's no good reason to make things awkward. 

He hears Bucky say goodbye to his ma, then a few minutes of silence before some grunting, and Bucky yells, “Steve! Come and give me a hand?”

Steve gets up, curious, and goes through to Bucky's bedroom. His eyes widen. Bucky's clothes are strewn all over the bed and he's pushing at his wardrobe. 

“Don't just stand there.” Bucky huffs. “Help me take this through to your room!”

“Um. Why?”

“Because your room is the biggest?” Bucky replies like that's a reasonable response. 

“No, I mean, _why_.”

Bucky looks at him impatiently. “Because I'm moving into your room, duh.”

“Well where am I going?”

“You're… you're not going anywhere. I'm moving into your room with you because it'll look weird if we’re married but in separate bedrooms.”

No. No way. “Uh, are you suggesting we sleep in the same bed from now on?”

“Well yeah, unless you're planning on sleeping on the floor.”

Steve swallows down a hysterical laugh. “But Buck--”

“Look, I don't have cooties, we shared a bed fine in Vegas--it's just until the job is done and then things will go back to normal.”

Normal. Right. Steve nods. “Okay,” he says, and Bucky looks relieved. 

“Okay. So will you help me move this damn thing?”

Together, they move Bucky's wardrobe and all his clothes into Steve's--now their--room. When they're done, Bucky stands back and admires their handiwork. 

“That's better. And now we have a spare room!”

He looks so bright and happy that Steve wants to kiss him again. And again. But instead he just smiles and smiles and smiles. 

***

Steve gets used to sharing a bed with Bucky surprisingly quickly, although he starts setting his alarm ten minutes earlier so he has more time to jerk off in the shower. He tries not to think about Bucky when he touches himself, but sooner or later whoever he's thinking about will grow long hair, and their eyes will turn blue-grey, and their cheekbones sharpen. When that happens Steve comes embarrassingly fast, and he hates it. 

Their big job is fast approaching, and Steve goes with Bucky to case the place. It's a smaller art gallery, off the beaten track, but they've got some important pieces of Shusaku Arakawa on loan, and one of them is their target. 

Steve mentally notes down details about the security system--it's one he's broken before so it should be easy. They're walking around, pretending to look at the art, when Bucky takes his hand. Steve freezes briefly mid-stride, before his body gets over the shock and he keeps moving. 

Bucky grins at him. “Holding hands is what married couples do, right?” he murmurs to Steve, and Steve nods. Bucky's hand is warm around his, and he shifts so their fingers are threaded together. If they're gonna do this, they might as well do it right. 

The Saturday before their job, Bucky's ma and pop throw a party for them. Bucky sits him down before they leave, looking at him seriously. 

“Okay, so you know what my ma is like, and she's going to expect us to be pretty affectionate with each other.”

“Affectionate?”

“You know: holding hands, arms around each other, occasionally kissing,” Bucky says matter-of-factly. “You okay with that?”

“Uh, yeah,” Steve replies, trying to smile. 

“Are you sure? Because you look like you're going to barf.”

“No, no, it's fine. It's just, yeah, okay, awkward, but we'll get through it.”

Steve must look more sure, because Bucky just nods. “Okay. Well, we'd better get going if we're going to be there in time.”

When they arrive at Bucky's parents’ place, Bucky grabs his hand and winks before knocking. Bucky's ma opens the door, squeals loudly in excitement, and pulls them both into a hug. 

“Oh, boys! Look at you both. Let me see your rings!” Bucky lets go of Steve's hand so they can show her their rings, and she smiles wide. “You know I almost couldn't believe it but here you are! Come in, come in,” she says, and leads them through to the living room where various members of Bucky's extended family are already gathered. 

There's a cheer when they walk in, and Steve represses the urge to hide behind Bucky in embarrassment. They're quickly set upon by Bucky's pop and grandma, and Bucky puts his arm around Steve's waist casually, as if he's always done it. Steve returns the gesture, feeling if possible even more awkward. 

The whole day is like that. Bucky keeps _touching him_ and it's driving him distracted. Even though Bucky had warned him what to expect it hadn't prepared him for the casual intimacy of the gestures, and it makes his heart hurt to know that this is just pretend for his best friend. Husband. Jesus Christ they're married, and Steve would give anything for it not to be a sham. 

Bucky's ma has had a big wedding cake made, and everyone takes pictures as they cut into it together, hands clasped over the knife. Bucky feeds him a small piece of cake, and Steve’s lips brush against his fingers. Steve thinks he sees something flash in the depths of Bucky's eyes, but it's over in a moment and Steve puts it down to a trick of the light. 

When they've both fed each other cake, Bucky pulls him into a sweet, sticky kiss, and everyone applauds. When Steve pulls back, he looks over and sees Bucky's ma wiping away tears. 

Everyone has bought them cards and presents, but as most of the presents are gift cards they're able to take them away when they leave that evening. Steve hugs everyone, and Bucky grabs his hand and pulls him out the door as they wave goodbye. 

They walk down the street together, looking for a cab, when Steve realizes that Bucky is still holding his hand. And it feels good, it does, but Bucky doesn't mean it. 

“Any particular reason you're still holding my hand, Buck?” he asks, and Bucky actually flushes, pulling his hand out of Steve's. 

“Uh, sorry,” is all he says, looking uncomfortable, and Steve knows how he feels. He's feeling pretty uncomfortable about the whole thing himself. 

They finally get a cab and ride home in silence. When they get into the apartment, Steve puts the bag with the cards in it down and sighs.  
“Hey, Steve,” Bucky says awkwardly. “We're okay, right?”

“Of course, Buck,” Steve lies. He's a world away from okay, but he can't say that, so he just smiles. 

***

Their job goes off without a hitch, surprising both of them, and they get the painting to their buyer before walking away a half million dollars richer. Steve is almost sorry it's over, but he's looking forward to things getting back to normal so he can ignore the fact he's fallen head over heels in love with Bucky. 

They fall into bed, exhausted, as the sun is starting to rise. Steve is just falling asleep, when Bucky hisses his name. 

“Steve!”

“What is it, Buck?” Steve asks with a yawn. 

“I've been thinking, and maybe we should stay married for a while.” 

Steve's eyes fly open, and he looks incredulously at Bucky. “What?”

“Think about it. It's still a great idea in case we ever get caught, and it's fine, right? Plus I think it would break my ma’s heart if we got a divorce,” Bucky finishes with a laugh, and Steve feels something in him break. 

“Sure, Buck,” he says resignedly. “Whatever you think is best. Can I go to sleep now?”

“Uh. Sure,” Bucky replies, looking at Steve with an expression of concern, but Steve just turns his back on Bucky and pretends to sleep. 

***

Things don't get any easier; if anything, they get more difficult. Bucky's ma insists that now Steve is officially part of the family they have to spend more time together, so they have a standing invitation to Sunday dinner. They go most weeks, but being around his ma and pop means that Bucky turns on the affection--holding Steve's hand or wrapping an arm around his waist at every opportunity. Often when they're filling the dishwasher after dinner he'll pull Steve into a soft kiss as his ma potters around putting things away. Steve desperately wants to push Bucky away, but he can't--Bucky's ma will suspect something. Besides, a perverse part of him craves the affection, even if he knows it isn't real. 

They do a couple of smaller jobs, nothing complex, and Bucky takes Steve out to dinner at a fancy restaurant to celebrate their success. The looks Bucky gives Steve over his wine glass make Steve's heart flutter in his chest, and he allows himself to hope, but Bucky doesn't make a move, and keeps to his side of the bed that night. 

***

They're casing their next job, a small museum in the suburbs, when a young brunette approaches Bucky, who is wandering ahead of Steve. Steve can see from her outfit that she works there, and as he watches they chat and laugh together. The woman touches Bucky a little too often, and Steve finds himself irrationally jealous. He sees her give Bucky her number, and a lump forms in his throat. He has to get out of there. As the woman walks away with a smile, Steve turns on his heel and walks out the museum, into the fresh air. 

Bucky joins him a moment later. “You okay? You kinda ran out of there.”

“Fine," Steve replies shortly. “Just felt a bit dizzy and needed some fresh air.”

“Okay.” Bucky is looking at him, his expression worried. “You sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine.”

“Maybe we should get home and come back tomorrow,” Bucky suggests, and Steve’s heart plummets. Bucky probably wants to see that woman again. 

“Yeah, fine, whatever,” he responds, and starts towards the apartment, leaving Bucky to catch up. 

The walk back is awkward, not least because Steve replies to everything Bucky says with one word answers, and soon they're back inside. 

As they take off their coats, Steve sighs. “I think we should get a divorce.”

Bucky looks at him, eyes wide. “But… I thought…”

“We can't be pretend we're a married couple of you're going to go on dates with random women,” Steve spits out, a little too harshly, and Bucky Bucky takes a step back. 

“I'm not--I mean, I wasn't--Steve, what is this about? I thought you were…” He breaks off, before mumbling, “I thought you were fine with all of this.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I'm not.” Steve storms through to the bedroom, and Bucky follows him. 

“Steve, I don't know where all this is coming from.”

“Oh, like you weren't flirting with that woman in the museum?”

“No, I wasn't, because I've been too busy flirting with you!” Bucky snaps, and now it's Steve's turn to be surprised. “I thought that maybe you were coming around, that maybe you felt the same way, but I guess not.”

“Bucky… what are you saying?” Steve asks hoarsely. 

Bucky sighs. “I thought I could do this and stay objective--it was a good idea--but apparently not. I'll move my stuff out of your room today and we can get a divorce whenever you want.”

Bucky turns to go, but Steve grabs his arm. “Oh, no you don't, Buck. You stay there and tell me exactly what you're talking about.”

“I'm in love with you, okay?” Bucky whispers. “Have been for a while. I thought I was maybe getting over it, thought that maybe pretending to be married to you would help, but it's just made things worse. I know you don't feel the same way, and I'm sorry if I've ruined everything, but you asked and I can't lie to you.”

Steve feels like his heart is about to pound out of his chest, and he feels a smile spreading across his face. “Bucky,” he says softly, “Buck, look at me.”

Bucky does, and his expression is so dejected that Steve's heart goes out to him. Steve pulls him in close, murmuring, “I'm sorry I took so long to catch up.”

“You… what?”

“I'm so in love with you,” Steve says softly. “I didn't realize--didn't know--until you kissed me at our wedding. Then I never wanted to stop.”

Bucky's expression goes from confused to surprised to joyful in a matter of seconds. “But why didn't you say anything?”

“Same reason as you, I guess. I didn't want to ruin things between us because I didn't know you felt the same way.”

“How could I not?” Bucky says fondly. “It's you.”

Steve grins and kisses him, kisses him properly, and it feels like a homecoming. Bucky moans into his mouth and Steve pulls back. 

“You know, we never did consummate our marriage,” he says with a smirk, and Bucky laughs. 

“Yeah, we should probably fix that right now.”

They strip quickly, kissing in between times, then as soon as they're naked Bucky takes hold of Steve's cock and strokes him. 

“I want you inside me, Steve,” he mutters against Steve's lips. “Want you to fuck me, wanted it for so long…”

“Fuck, yes,” Steve moans, and they tumble onto the bed together. Bucky lays back with a pillow under his hips, spreading his thighs wide, and Steve draws a line up Bucky's cock with one finger, making it twitch. He rifles through the bedside cabinet for lube and a condom, then leans down to kiss Bucky again as he squeezes lube over his fingers. 

He opens Bucky up carefully, gently, kissing him all the while and drinking in his moans and gasps as Steve fingers him, occasionally brushing against his prostate. When Steve deems Bucky to be ready for him, he puts on the condom and slicks himself up, before slowly pushing in. 

Bucky's legs wrap around Steve's waist as his hips meet Bucky's ass, and they both groan. Steve pauses, waiting for Bucky to adjust, and at length Bucky nods. 

“You can move now… aaah, _fuck_ , Steve,” Bucky moans as Steve begins to move, slowly at first, then harder and faster as Bucky's thighs tighten around him, urging him on. 

Steve leans down to kiss Bucky as he fucks him, losing track of time, losing track of everything that isn't Bucky. He feels like he's waited so long for this, and feels a pang of regret that Bucky's been waiting even longer. 

He shifts his hips slightly, and suddenly Bucky is crying out on every thrust, cock leaking against his stomach as Steve’s cock slides against that spot inside him. Steve loses himself in the movement of their bodies as Bucky brings a hand down to stroke himself. 

“Fuck, yeah, Bucky, want to see you make yourself come for me,” Steve manages, and Bucky nods. 

“You feel so good inside me, Steve, fuck, I'm gonna come, gonna come, coming,” and he cries out as he comes all over his fist and stomach. Steve pauses, letting him come down, before starting to thrust again. Bucky's hand cups his cheek and Steve leans down to kiss him as he groans through his own orgasm. 

They lay there for a few moments, still joined, kissing each other deeply. Then Steve pulls back, and disposes of the condom before climbing back into bed beside Bucky. Bucky immediately drags him in for another kiss, and Steve can't help the bubble of joy that wells up in his chest. 

“That was some consummation,” Bucky teases, and Steve laughs, pulling Bucky in to snuggle against him. 

“Yeah, well, I expect you to return the favor later,” Steve responds with a grin. “For now, I'm thinking nap then dinner?”

“Sounds good to me,” Bucky says, yawning, leaning his head on Steve's chest and closing his eyes. 

Steve kisses the top of Bucky's head and smiles. It might have been a rocky road, full of misunderstandings, but they're finally here. And as he closes his eyes to sleep, he wonders if he'll be able to talk Bucky into a honeymoon.


End file.
